Friday, September 28, 2018

There are days that I hope for a God of Judgement. Until
that time arrives, if it arrives, it is up to us human beings to see the work
of justice be done on this earth. I sat riveted listening to Dr. Ford’s and
Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony.First, I
have to say, as a man, I am tentative to speak about this.I feel this is a time to lift up womens’
voices. As a minister though, I feel it is my religious responsibility to use
what ever moral authority I have to shed light on the issue and to raise the
consciousness of whoever will listen. Throughout my life, first just as a
compassionate listener and now as a minister, I have heard women’s stories about
harassment and abuse. Earlier this week at a local rally we heard story after
story of women harassed and abused by men. And yes, I know men are abused as
well, and I do not diminish that, but it is at a much smaller %. And yes, research
has shown that a small % of claims brought forth are found to be false. Over
95% of abuse claims are real and true (and a large majority never reported),
and personal experience confirms that high %. I therefore believe people and
especially women when an accusation is made. And let me assure you that the trauma
of such harassment and abuse is devastating and long lasting.We need to change the moral bankruptcy of men
in this world. This is not a court of
law. This is not just for a nomination on the supreme court. This is a court of
moral opinion of how we are going to interact with each other as humans.

Changing the culture will require a shift. Men (and women)
are enculturated into this machismo misogyny. Every movie with Bogart or John
Wayne just grabbing the women and kissing her, makes it seem reasonable to just
grab women and kiss them. How many romantic comedies have men stalking women (I
think of the movie where he is outside her house with a boombox blasting “their”
song) until the women gives in and admits their love.Men do not see this as harassment. They see
it just the way things are. When women try to reject these overtures men often
become angry and violent. Time and again when women come forward to authorities
they are excoriated and forced to endure
humiliation for coming forward.

Dr. Ford’s testimony was credible. And I cringe even writing
that. I am someone who has had to give
court depositions, and is interviewed often on television. It is nerve wracking
and pressure-filled and you have to be precise and it is difficult to do under
normal circumstances. I cannot imagine how it must be talking publicly about a personal trauma. So she was
more then credible and believable. She was courageous. She didn’t have to do
this. The Republican Senators used an inquisitor who spoke for them when Dr.
Ford was on the stand. The Republicans admitted themselves they could not
control themselves from saying stupid things. That in and of itself shows their
moral bankruptcy. The inquisitor focused
her time asking questions that were clearly trying to trip up the witness and
show that this was a bigger conspiracy rather then uncover the truth. Dr. Ford
did not fall for the bait, from either Republican or Democratic lawmakers (as
they tried to get her to expand her story). She told her truth and should be
believed.

Judge Kavanaugh’s uncontrolled (or crafted) emotional
outbursts, his refusal to answer some questions, his obfuscation of other questions,
and his partisan attacks shows me a number of things. One he is denying the mistakes
of his youth, but worse, he has not learned from them. He thinks he can just
bully people and thinks that is acceptable attitude. Second, his temperament and
partisanship should be a disqualifier. The fact that he has lied several times
and his papers are being hidden, tells me he is not a trustworthy person. He
has no empathy for others, as shown by his unwillingness to even shake the hand
of the parent of a child killedd by gun violence at the hearings. He doesn’t see
that the things he does are harassment. He yelled at and attacked the woman Senator
who asked him a difficult question about whether he ever blacked out. He thinks
it is ok to yell at senators who are questioning you for a job. Yell, attack
and then cry when you are challenged. That
is the misogynist way. He particularly twitched and was evasive when Sen. Kamala
Harris questioned him (A woman of color). When people are in power, or have power over
others, it is rare that they give it up willingly. And they fight every time
when that power is challenged. The anger we saw from Kavanaugh yesterday and
the anger we saw from Republican lawmakers (who finally found their voice to
speak to Kavanaugh – I guess it is ok to say stupid stuff amongst men) was this
rejection that someone would reject their power over them. In the 19th
century we had to have a civil war about this. Instead of looking for truth,
instead of showing compassion, they condemned, and by so doing they have fallen
short.

The committee will approve Kavanaugh. Jeff Flake is the one who has fallen the farthest
from God. The other Republicans are unabashed misogynists. Jeff Flake tries to
pretend that he is compassionate and reasonable, but in the end Flake votes for
Kavanaugh’s approval. He votes for cutting taxes, he votes to cut social
programs that will help those who are suffering. He has fallen the furthest
because of his duplicity and thus he will end up in the lower levels of hell
(if there is a hell or else he will be in long term remediation class in heaven
or reincarnated as a mosquito.)We have
a President who has been on tape bragging about sexually abusing women. He and the
people he appoints are hostile to women’s health issues. They are not arbiters
of good morality.

The question is what are we going to do about it. If the law
will not protect women, how can women protect themselves. How can we support
them. It is the question people of color and poor people have to answer every
day as well. Yes, I was riveted by the testimonies yesterday. It was like
watching a car wreck. It was horrible and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. But unlike
car accidents this was not an accident, it is an avoidable and changeable tragedy.
For me It is important to witness the tragedy, and it is important to speak
about the tragedy, so that we can find a new way. Create a new way.

Women, all harassment and abuse survivors, I hear you. I
know you are in pain. And I commit to lift up your voices, I commit to work to
end the patriarchy that destroys so many lives, and limits so many souls from
flourishing, and ends love. I have to work hard not to let love die in my soul,
when these events happens. I am human. I have my own failings. I get discouraged,
I have had my own tragedies. I take time to look within myself and see what can
I do or not do to help make things better. Ending the patriarchy is not being anti-man. It
is to end men’s control over women. That can be freeing for men as well, but
certainly and mostly it is about justice for women.

As a religious leader, it is my role to speak the truth and to
espouse a vision of a better way to be in community even if those in power do
not agree. I also know it my role to lift up hope and the possibility of a world
based on compassion and love. One of the greatest gifts Unitarian Universalism
has given me is that it opened my mind, and then my heart to hearing other people’s
stories and perspectives by being in relationship with them in a covenanted
community.It is hard to let go of old
ways of thinking. But since I had covenanted to be in right relationship with
people I learned to listen and to change and grow. I believe it can happen for
others and the world. It is why I became a minister. To share that message that
love, compassion, hope and change is possible. It may not be today, it may not
be in my lifetime, but I will do my share in my time to bring that about, in
every small and large way I can in the here and now, and I ask you to do so as well. Do not give
up. DO NOT GIVE UP. Do not sit back. The old ways are dieing, but they are not
going quietly or peaceably as we saw on display at the Kavanaugh hearings. And
the patriarchy seems intent on taking everyone down with them before they
change. All good people need to join together and listen and believe and act
together. I hear you, I believe you. How can I help you change the world.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

In my
first reflection I talked more about Congregational vision. I think it is just
as important for each of us to have a personal vision for our lives. Most job
interviews ask a standard question, where do you see yourself in five
years.Most
people really don’t know how to answer that question. The
truth is it is a false question because no one really knows where they will be
in five years. It
is asked to see how you will react to it, to understand your vision for your
life. I
would usually tell people to answer,I
would hope to have opportunities to grow and learn new skills, and add value to
the organization.

I
think that is probably a good vision for anyone in general. To grow and learn
new skills and add value to the world.The
farther out we look for our vision the harder it can be to discern. I
think its good to periodically reflect on how we envision our future.Tonight
is the first night of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah.Rosh HaShanah is the beginning of the The
Jewish High Holy Days which will end in 10 days with the holiday Yom Kippur. As I
look back over my years of sermons, I note that I have on more then one
occasion preached about Yom Kippur the day of atonement, but have never talked
about Rosh Hashanah. That
probably says something about me.

Religiously
Rosh Hashanah is believed to be the anniversary of the day that Adam and Eve
were created by God. Historians believe culturally it was set at this time
because it was the beginning of the sowing and harvest season in the Middle
east. It
was a way for Jews to set themselves apart from the ancient Greeks and Romans
who set their new year later in the spring. It
was not until 45 bc that the Romans changed the New Year to January 1st.Being
raised in the Jewish faith, this is one time of year I intentionally stop to
reflect upon the upcoming year.My Buddhist training has taught me not to become attached to hoped for outcomes.
But that should not prevent us from working towards hoped for outcomes.

The
key to creating a vision is to determine the why. Why do we hope for a specific
outcome. If
the why is strong enough it is easier to find a way to make that vision a
reality. And
with reflection we learn to be open to changing our vision. When
I was young I had no vision I was going to be a minister. And later
in life when I first decided to become a minister. I had no idea my journey
would take me to Iowa.

I
think it is important in thinking about our vision to start with determining
what our values are.

Not
what values we are taught or raised up to believe.

Not
what values we hope we will have one day.

But
day in and day out what is it that you value by your actions.

By
consciously doing this we realize that over time our values have changed.

And
by consciously discerning this we can choose a new vision for ourselves.

As Rabbi Howard Berman says

“Rosh Hashanah proclaims Judaism’s revolutionary
teaching that history is not cyclical and static—as other ancient cultures
believed—but rather, that human experience is dynamic and evolutionary—always
progressing toward new heights and greater revelations of Divine truth. For each of us, personally, this means that we
need not be bound by the limitations, patterns and regrets of the past… but
rather, that there is always an opportunity to make a fresh start, and begin
anew.”

And so I encourage you to reflect on what
patterns have been unhealthy for you. What ways can you start anew and then I
encourage you to start anew. So I offer you this jewish prayer

“May this New Year, 5779, bring healing and
renewal… joy and health…life and peace…